Marine Corps Transformational Concepts and Seabasing

1. Marine Corps Transformational Concepts and Seabasing James N. Strock Deputy Director Expeditionary Force Development Center Marine Corps Combat Development Command Quantico, VA 22134 703-784-6094 james.strock@usmc.mil

2. Transformational Concepts • Centerpiece of Transformation: • Seabasing • Supporting Concepts: • Operational Maneuver From The Sea • Ship-To-Objective Maneuver • Distributed Operations • Applied Coherently: • Threaten the breadth and depth of the littoral region • Combined with other Joint Forcible Entry forces, compel an adversary to either concentrate or disperse his forces. Capitalizing on our Command of the Commons

3. Seabasing and Sea Base Defined Seabasing, a national capability, is the overarching transformational operating concept for projecting and sustaining naval power and joint forces, which assures joint access by leveraging the operational maneuver of sovereign, distributed, and networked forces operating globally from the sea. The seabase is an inherently maneuverable, scalable aggregation of distributed, networked platforms that enable the global power projection of offensive and defensive forces from the sea, and includes the ability to assemble, equip, project, support, and sustain those forces without reliance on land bases within the Joint Operations Area.

4. Advanced Base ESG CSG Seabasing…Delivering the Capability FORCEnet Strategic Airlift, Strategic Sealift Civil Reserve Air Fleet Sea Base Sea Strike CONUS OBJ MPG Reconstitute High Speed Connectors High Speed Strategic Sealift Sea Shield Joint Operating Area A System of Systems

5. 2015 MEB Force ClosureStrategic Lift Options HSS C-17 CRAF • Preferred for aircraft which can’t self-deploy • Reduces demand for strategic airlift • Lessens requirement for APOD/MOG • Most efficient means to transport PAX • Requires adequate APOD/MOG • At least 36 (747) sorties for MEB FIE & Naval Support Element • Allows rapid deployment of Adv Party & Naval Support Element • Support capabilities for self-deploying aircraft • At least 42 C-17 sorties required • Up to 170 C-17 sorties without HSS

6. Key Seabasing Capabilities Maneuverable, distributed, networked platforms At-sea arrival, assembly and transfer of materiel and personnel Selective Offload Over-the-horizon and on-the-move communications Enable and sustain forcible entry and sustained operations ashore Distributed, collaborative operational logistics planning and total asset visibility

7. MPF(Future) Key to Emerging Joint Sea Base • MPF(F) is integral part of Joint Sea Base • Composition and purpose of Sea Base is situation dependent • Sea Base consists of a range of naval assets • Supported by air and surface connectors

8. MPF(F) Concepts of Employment MPF(F) + 1 ESG MPF(F) Independent Ops • 14 days Threshold,10 days Objective • Limited force protection (no Sea Shield) • Permissive ops: humanitarian assistance, etc. • MEB ACE JSF require alternate basing • 14 days Threshold, 10 days Objective • ESG forward presence = speed of response • Allows the establishment of Sea Shield to protect MPF(F) • Synergy of MPF(F) and ESG will enhance surface assault timelines

9. Connectors • Inter-theater • CONUS to Advance Base / sea base • Fills the Strategic Airlift gap • Reduces competition for C-17s • Saves time in MEB FIE closure • Enables the “Decisive” capability set (20-30 day) • Intra-Theater • Forwarding Operating Base to / from sea base • Self-deployable • Sustainment & reconstitution • Enables “Rapid” capability set (10-14 day) • Assault Connectors • Sea base to objective • Land surface assault Bn in one 8-10 hour period of darkness

10. Potential Surface Connectors Organic or Intra-Theater Inter-Theater HSS 2015

11. Potential Air Connectors

12. Marine Corps Transformational Concepts and Seabasing Questions ?